Step Into the Abyss
by Larania Drake
Summary: The Animorphs have to protect the Yeerks from extiction.
1. Default Chapter Title

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Step Into the Abyss

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to Scholastic, not me, and I am not making any money in any way. So there.

My name is Rachel, and I am a former War Princess of the Andalite military.

I stood on the surface of the seventh moon of the gas giant Sarilc, in a temple that had been abandoned for millennium. The friezes covering the walls are surprisingly human in design. I stood at the edge of a crater, five miles deep. I couldn't see the bottom. A wind howled from within it, echoing hollowly, reminding me of how hollow these last few years have been. Remembering those times, wishing I could see earth again, I leaned back against a wall covered in an ivy like plant, and dreamed.

We, the once Animorphs, with the help of the Chee, the free Hork-Bajir, and the yeerk peace movement, kept the yeerks at bay for six long, bloody, hellish years. When the Andalites finally came, they patted us on the head, told us we had been good little aliens, and that we needed to get out of the way, the real warriors were going to take over now. They got their tails kicked.

If it weren't for the peace movement, they would have been executed on the spot. The told us what had happened, and we rescued them, destroying Visser 3 in the process.

I shuddered as I thought of Alloran's fading Thank You, as he died.

The drove them off earth, finally. The yeerks in the peace movement had agreed to help us on the condition that we help get then leniency when the Andalites came. This we did. We were hailed heroes of the war, and given the title of Warriors, if we joined their military. We did, on the condition that they let the friends that fought with us, come too.

This was by no means a popular decision.

The war had exacted a heavy toll on both sides. It scared the minds of both species. Nothing would satisfy either except the extinction of the other. The Andalites won.

The cost in lives taken was far worse than anyone could count. The only yeerks to survive the war were those that joined the peace movement, and the Andalite world was heavily depopulated. There were a few scattered pools left on the Yeerk Homeworld, and they were blockaded from space.

I was given the title of War Prince after the battle of the Hork-Bajir home world, and so was Jake. We both were given commands on Dome ships. I find it funny that I was called a Prince, but there was never a female given the rank before. Since the war, things changed. 

Many of the scientists among the peace movement started working with their Andalite counterparts, and before the war ended, a vaccine was created to keep a yeerk from being able to involuntarily take over a person who had received the treatment. All in the military took it.

A strange thing happened, in the fourth year after the war left earth. Many yeerk and Andalite scientists became 'symbiants', meaning, in a way, voluntary Controller. They worked together, forming a whole that could work on separate problems at once. Many great breakthroughs came of such pairings.

That was, until the massacre.

The Animorphs had become war heroes, and so had many of the other 'aliens' that had come with us. Several hosts of those of the peace movement had decided to stay with their yeerks! How's that for irony? Not only that, but freed hosts came as well. They had proved themselves to be loyal, time and again.

I was on my bridge when I heard the news.

Captain, 

"Report, T. O."

I have an urgent message from War Prince Jake came the voice of my T. O., Ax. Of the Animorphs, Ax was my T. O., and Marco was my engineer. Tobias and Cassie crewed with Jake.

My eyebrows went up at this. "Urgent, you say?" I asked, using the calm voice I had learned worked as effectively as any shout.

Urgent, Ax repeated, looking a little worried. He wouldn't say anything else. 

I nodded, answering," I'll take it in my office."

Walking briskly across the blue grass, I entered my office. I cued the holo, and an image of Jake immediately came up.

"What is it, War Prince?"

Jake looked calm. I took this as a danger sign. He only looks that calm when something awful has come up.

"I just received a message from the science compound on the Homeworld. Just before it was destroyed. By the Andalites."

"WHAT?" I asked, as my jaw dropped.

"You heard me right. This was a few hours ago, and I needed to get within safe range to get an untapped signal to you. Then, I intercepted orders going to the _Elfangor_ and the _Treevoice_ for them to go the Yeerk world, and annihilate the remaining yeerks. They're being exterminated, Rachel."

I nodded, slowly. I couldn't believe that the Andalites would do something like this. Those scientists were scientists alone! No one could _ever_ accuse them of anything.

"Have you heard the reports lately? Of the Andalites 'liberating' several worlds and colonizing others?"

"Yes," I replied, putting aside my shock. Those warriors that couldn't adapt couldn't survive. And I was a survivor. 

"I've heard other things, and- Oh, shit," Jake broke off. One of his Hork-Bajir officers had came up and given him a message. " I just got word that the _Liberator _was attacked by several Andalite fighters and a Dome ship. _Liberator _was a cruiser. There was no way she could have made it."

"Damn." I couldn't think of anything else.

Jake had gone pale. "I don't know what has come over the Council, but we have got to be next. The _Excaliber_ and the_ Xena_ are the only other ships in the military that have yeerks in their crews. Any mixed crews at all. You know what we have to do," he finished quietly.

"Go AWOL," I whispered, agreeing with him.

"I'm going to make an announcement to my crew about what I'm going to do. I can't ask you, but if you want to throw your lot in with me, meet me at the Kariba home world. Fare well, my friend."

"You to. Over and out." I cut the transmission.

My hands were shaking. I couldn't believe it.

I hailed Ax. "T.O., any news from the home world?"

I am receiving a message about- That can't be right, captain. I'll try to confirm, but… All the codes are right. I just can't believe that- Captain, the message we are getting is stating that the scientists at the Science compound turned traitor, and they were destroyed following a coup attempt. I **know** some of those people, captain. They would never-

"I know, Mr. Aximili. I know." I gritted my teeth.

"Anything about the _Liberator_?"

How would you know that we would get a message about- Wait, here it is. They suffered a malfunction, and self-destructed. 

I stood up from my chair. " Hail the command staff. We need to have an emergency meeting. Helm and com, if anyone, and I mean anyone, comes with firing range, get us the hell out of here."

In the conference room, my officers, human, Andalite, and Hork-Bajir, symbiant and not, sat around the large table. I knew that all of them were loyal, not just to the military, but to me personally. I was given this post three years ago, and all my staff are best they can be. No matter the species.

I told them of the official story, and what I had heard from Jake. To my surprise, few asked to leave, only those there a few months. The rest stayed. I dismissed them.

I asked Marco and Ax to stay.

"We're meeting up with Jake on the _Excaliber_ at the Kariba home world," I begin.

"I never heard of it," interrupted Marco.

After several years of his banter, I had actually gotten grateful for it. It means that some things never change.

"You wouldn't have. It doesn't exist. During the war, Jake and I thought it would be a good idea for us to have a fall back point if something happened to either ship. We are actually heading to the seventh moon of the gas giant Sarilc. It has good air, edible life forms, and water. We even laid in a cache of supplies, but we never thought we would need it for this." I felt something warm and wet hit my hand. I never thought that I would cry for yeerks, but I was.

Once the ones that wanted to leave, did, we set course, and made tracks through z-space. I went over to the ship board yeerk pool, and dunked my head. Immediately my friend Joseph, once Aixm 45432 of the Criam-Thris pool, entered my ear. He is the reason I forgave the individual yeerks for their crimes, and learned not to judge others by their kind. 

What's wrong? asked Joseph, sensing my distress. I opened my mind to him, and felt him absorb the events.

My, God, I heard him say in response.

One thing that I found hard to get used to was Joseph's faith. He had been the Controller of a Catholic priest for years. When he first took over the elderly minister, he said, he had mocked the man for his faith, asking him, "Where is your god now, when I have your body? You should worship me!" Then, over time, the man's faith started to overcome his contempt. The old man never whined. He just prayed. He prayed for everyone except himself. He even prayed for the creature that took over his life. I was shocked when I found no self-pity, no hatred. That man's faith was so deep, he never hated me. He helped me to realize that I hated myself, for the pain I had caused. 

Then, he said, he had a revelation. He couldn't describe it any other way. He felt the sky seem to open up, and he knew that he had to help other yeerks understand that what they were doing was wrong. He had sneered at the idea that one person who had all power would give it up for the sake of anyone. He had felt sheer mockery for those who believe that anything had more power than hate. Now he knew differently. His God had called him, and in that instant, he had understood why a person would care for their tormentor.

I begged and begged for my host's forgiveness. He said he wasn't the person I needed to ask. I needed to ask God's. That is what I did. 

I may not have shared his faith, but I had seen the results of Joseph's devotion again and again. He refused to fight, and I had seen how he had healed souls of many, including myself.

That's another story.

After filling my friend in on the situation, he and I went to the bridge. We had exited z-space, and found something worse.

The _Excaliber_ had been attacked. We came out just in time to see the last pod escape, and the fireworks of its destruction. I gasped, then shouted orders.

"Locate survivors, and tell me were they landed. Pick up as many pods are still in space, and salvage teams, try to find any useful parts remaining. We may need them. Begin landing at the plateaus on the equator," I snapped, with too many years of practice.

Don't go down that road, my friend. You are a good commander. 

Yeah, right, I think back.

We landed, and got all the survivors into the sickbays aboard my ship. There were several ancient temples on the plateau, and we started filling them with salvage. I showed my engineers where we had but the supplies, and we began working.

I shook myself from my reverie.

That, Rachel, is one very, very deep hole, Commented Joseph.

Tell me about it. It was as dark as our future. Now, the Animorphs have to defend the yeerks against the Andalites, and hope that they wouldn't take out earth out of spite.

Have faith, Rachel. God has seen you this far; he will see you to the end. 

"Joseph," I said aloud. "I hope you are right."

Questions? Comments? Recipes? 


	2. Default Chapter Title

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Step Into the Abyss 2: Lost Hope

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to Scholastic, and I am not making any money off of this.

My name is Tobias. I am an Andalite Warrior.

I know, for many years, I was an item with Rachel, but something happened to her. She changed. In the heart of the war off planet, when we had first joined the Andalite military, she became an obsessed killing machine. The spark in her, the love and the life that I had found so great, was snuffed out. Nothing was the same after that. 

I tried to love her, but she kept pushing me away. For years, she had tried to get me to become a _nothlit._ Then, she stopped. She just didn't care anymore. Nothing touched her. All that was left of her was the war, and taking out as many Yeerks as possible. The person I loved, died, and I had to leave her.

I found love again, in the form of a scientist, Jalin-Slaier-Cosin. She laughed with me, and accepted me as a hawk in the first place. We really couldn't help the feelings we had for each other, and after the end of the war, we became mates. I became a _nothlit _for her. I had found true love, and I wasn't going to let it go.

After the massacre, War Prince Jake's ship, the _Excaliber,_ went to try and find survivors on the Yeerk home planet. We ran into an ambush. Our ship took one hell of a beating, and we barely escaped into z-space. We made an emergency landing, and we were scattered.

I managed to find my way to the coordinates that Jake had given me, and found the _Xena_ landed there. I gave my report, and went to form teams to find the others of my ship. When most of the teams came back in, with far more escapees than we had a right to have, I decided to rest for a little. The big temple looked restful and still. That was my destination.

For an Andalite, trotting there was no time at all. The only problem I had was with the stairs. Whoever built this place had to walk upright, like humans. It took some crow hopping, but I made it to the main chamber, at the top.

The sun had been glaringly bright, and it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the sudden darkness. Then I glimpsed the giant pit in the floor. 

It had to be a half-mile across, at least. I walked to the edge. I couldn't see the bottom. A wind rushed out of its depths. 

About halfway between the other side and where I was standing, was Rachel.

I automatically stiffened when I saw her. The last time we had met, was before my wedding to Jalin. We parted on bad terms. Actually, we parted with no terms at all. Rachel had just stared at me, stonily. Then, she had turned, and left. In five years, we hadn't spoken.

Only then it hit me. Jalin had been at the Science Compound when it had been destroyed. My mate was dead.

No. No! NO! NOOOOO! I started screaming. I didn't even realize I was yelling until Rachel put her hands on my shoulders. I had closed all my eyes so tight that I hadn't seen her come up to me.

"Tobias! Snap out of it! What's wrong?" she asked, shaking me.

She's dead. I whisper, hoarsely. I felt like someone had ripped my hearts from me. All I could think, was, she's dead. Oh, God, she's dead.

"We heard you screaming. Oh, no," she gasped. "Jalin was in the Compound went they got it, wasn't she? Tobias, I'm sorry."

I wanted to believe that she was lying. I needed someone to hate right then. My hearts were shredded into thousands of pieces, and nothing would ever be right again. For the first time in years, I wished I was human, so I could weep.

The strangest thing of all, was that Rachel didn't scorn me for being weak. She didn't look at me in pity. She just held me, and for the first time in years, we could look at each other without pain.

Some time later I opened my eyes again. I had gone through the motions of crying, even if I didn't have any tears. My head was buried in Rachel's shoulder. I looked up at her, and saw compassion in her eyes.

The irony in that was staggering.

I pulled myself away, looked into her face, and didn't see the merciless killer she had been.

I was so startled, I forgot for a moment what I had lost.

"You okay?" she asked.

Better, I answered. I doubt I will ever be 'okay' again.

She nodded.

"Any particular reason you are here, Tobias? I'll leave now, if you like."

No, you can stay. I just needed a place to think, and this looked like a good spot. I put off thinking about the Compound's destruction until now. Thanks.

"We didn't do anything special, Tobias."

'We'. Of all the strange things in the universe to happen. Rachel became a symbiant. I hadn't heard that. 

Who are you? I asked.

I could see a faint muscle twitch as Rachel surrendered control to the Yeerk.

"My name is Joseph. I am a friend of Rachel's. I am the _Xena's _chaplain. "

You're the what? I said blankly. I couldn't have heard that right.

"Chaplain. You are not the first to be surprised to find a Yeerk that believes in a higher power. I was the Controller of a Catholic priest during the war. I was converted. There isn't much else to it."

If I'd had a mouth, it would have hit the ground. 

You believe in superstitions? With all the science, all the war, and death, and pain, you can still believe in a god? I felt like I had been hit with a Shredder blast.

A slight smile creased his/her lips. "I do because of it. I was on the Yeerks' side, don't forget. I saw the pain my people had done to other species, yet for all that, my host never stopped believing. For all the hopelessness, all the anger and rage and despair, I saw belief and love triumph over hate and faithlessness. I saw good overcome evil, if you will. I know, without a doubt, there is a God, and He is good, and mourns at the death of any of His children, human, Yeerk, or Andalite."

I didn't hear any deceit in his tone. I could see a person in tune with reality, and with genuine faith. This was the real thing. I was impressed.

"Do you want to be alone now?" He asked.

No, thank you, though. I started wondering about our daughter. Was she all right? Had she heard about her mother? Had she heard about her father?

What had they done to her?

We need to get back to the ships. We need to assess the damage, and see what we have left to use to fight the Andalites. I heard myself say, thinking that I would never believed myself fighting the Andalites, not our great hope.

Not my people. 

I felt like a balloon when all the air runs out. I was deflated, defeated. I walked out of the temple, into the merciless sun of this world.

I slowly walked back, and on my way, was met by a very battered Jake. He looked well, but bruised and tired. To my surprise, I found Ax with him. 

"Science Officer Tobias. Good to see you. Where is War Princess Rachel?"

She was in the temple, last time I saw her. 

"Do you mind getting her?" he asked, though I knew that is was really an order.

Yes, Captain. I turned and left.

I approached the entrance of the temple, and saw her coming towards me. I just watched her for a moment. She was dressed in the formal uniform of the Andalite military that was given to humans. It was little more that a thick unitard and the super thin material that was used in lieu of shoes. She was still beautiful, despite the toll the years had taken on her. Even the long, thin scat across her right eye didn't detract. It was trademark.

War Princess. I said.

"T. O. Tobias," she replied. 

Prince Jake has been found, and is requesting a meeting. 

"Understood."

I accompanied her back to the ships, and I looked at the spectacle in front of me. Hork-Bajir were going for trees, and humans and Andalites were rushing around, It looked like sheer madness.

"This is the way it should be," I heard Rachel say softly to herself. I turn an eyestalk to her in curiosity. What was she talking about?

"Look at them. Different species working together for the good of all."

Then it struck me. They were all working together to build a blind to hide the remains of the _Excaliber._

I had missed it. I don't know how. I wondered at how different I was thinking now a-days. I had spent the last few years of the war with the Andalites; that was how I had met Jalin. While I fought just as hard as the others did, I had not gotten the same experience of working with other species as they had. Me. The guy who had freed the first of the Hork-Bajir, hadn't seen it. I could have kicked myself if had been that limber anymore.

We arrived at the site, and Rachel snapped into War Princess mode. I was awed by her cool professionalism. I got the feeling, though, that if I bothered to pay attention, I would have known about it for years.

The yeerk-Andalite symbiosis had started four years after we had left earth. That was two years ago. I felt betrayed, in a way, when it happened. I wanted the entire species destroyed. I could understand why the Andalites had done what they had. I just didn't want to.

Jake called the meeting to order. While he and Rachel were technically equals, she deferred to him in these things, because no matter how long it was since we were officially the Animorphs, he was still our leader.

"I guess most of you know what has happened. The Andalites have attempted to eradicate the yeerk species. While during the war, when it was declared, and they had actually been a threat, it might have been quasi justified. Now, there is no such thing. Many of you are symbiant, and have friends that are symbiants. I respected those scientists in the Compound, and liked many of them personally. I have had the honor of serving with many distinguished crew members that were such. You would not still be here if you did not as well. Now, to business. We have lost the use of the _Excaliber . _It is no longer flight capable. We will transfer all remaining equipment and healthy volunteers to the _Xena._ I want the best we have, people, of both crews, to go War Princess' Rachel's ship. If we are to survive, any way.

I want you to know something. I don't have any idea how long we have until the Andalites come after us. It could be a long time, or not. Rachel and I tried our best to keep this place a secret. Another thing, I would expect the worst to happen to your families and friends back on the Home world. You've all heard the same reports that I have. The Andalites have gone conquistador. They have 'liberated' several worlds, and colonized several more. I have also heard rumors about many planets becoming 'protectorates' of the Andalites. I didn't pay any attention at the time, because I didn't want to. I am still in shock. I don't want to believe this any more than anyone of you does.

T.O. Aximili, report," he ended.

Yes, War Prince. 

Ax went on about how they had enough supplies to last for six weeks, and that they didn't have enough power for the Kandrona generators to last that long. Basically, we were in very deep poo-doo.

Ax made a joke. I felt my hearts stop for the second time that day.

We knew for the most part about the numbers in the Andalite military that we had so recently left. Ax then made a scary statement. The Hork-Bajir world was being held by the Andalites. They were going to blockade the place until we surrendered.

I couldn't believe that. The Hork-Bajir were so peaceful. The only ones that had stayed in the war after their world had been freed were those aboard the _Xena_ and _Excaliber,_ and they made such a tiny portion of the crew, it was negligible.

As I listened, I realized that there was nothing we could do anyway. We were outgunned, out numbered, and out classed.

"I have a suggestion," said a quiet voice.

"Yes, War Princess?"

Rachel smiled. "No, it is Joseph the yeerk speaking. I think that if you ask many of those here, we would willingly give ourselves up."

Many protested this. It was remarkable how the symbiants had made themselves a part of everyone's lives here. Except me.

Yet, those that I knew had yeerks were making gestures of agreement. They would give themselves up.

"I appreciate the thought, Joseph, but I don't think anything that drastic is necessary."

A part of me screamed, Yes! Yes! Do it! Get rid of the remaining worms! I have to save my daughter! 

I pressed a hoof hard down on that thought.

I left eventually. A science officer has little to do with tactics and logistics. 

I went back to the temple and thought about the day. 

I focused all my thoughts and eyes onto the deep, echoing canyon yawning in the floor.

I knew what I had to do.

Questions? Comments? Ice cream?


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